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State and Regional Policy Assistance - Program Activities

Providing Technical Assistance to States and RegionsThe Electric Markets Technical Assistance Program responds to both immediate and long-terms needs of states, regions, and other organizations to implement policy and market solutions that bring about improved demand response, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transmission utilization.

Assisting states such as Hawaii, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, California, and Texas on design and or implementation of state-based Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

The Program responds to emergencies such as the 2001 Western U.S. electricity crisis, including providing emergency consulting for the Western Governors' Association (WGA) and the California Independent System Operator (CA ISO).

Grants

The Program's work is accomplished through grants primarily to national and regional-based groups that are tied to state decision makers. Current and past recipients include:

New DOE co-funded report examines the current status of the U.S. Electric Transmission System. Report finds transmission capacity continues to be added at a slower rate than consumer demand is growing. More Information (PDF 587 KB)

Links to Program-Sponsored Sample Products

The Electric Markets Technical Assistance Program is supporting efforts by the Western Governors' Association (WGA), its subsidiary Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB), and related ad-hoc subregional groups in the West as they work toward greater regional coordination and planning of regional electric infrastructure. See November 2003 presentation (PDF 195 KB) for more information.

At the request of the Governors, the West's informal regional electric coordinating body known as the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation (CREPC) (an arm of WGA/WIEB) launched a bottom-up evaluation of the value of a regional body that would be more formal than CREPC. DOE is funding support of this evaluation and improved Western regional electric cooperation and planning. DOE funding is in three forms:

LBNL's work is focusing on reviewing models for market monitoring and assessing reserve concepts and resource adequacy in the Western Interconnect. LBNL published "A Review of Market Monitoring Activities at U.S. Independent System Operators" (PDF 571 KB) in January 2004. This report synthesizes the market monitoring experience of PJM, New York ISO, ISO-NE and California ISO, focusing on the organization of an independent Market Monitoring Unit, indices that aid in market analysis, access to confidential market data, and market mitigation and investigation authority.

The National Council on Electricity Policy has sponsored mid-course electric restructuring reviews in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. See workshop and presentations from the September 4, 2003, "Mid-Atlantic Mid-Course Review" held in Philadelphia.

See the transcript of the National Council's July 27, 2003, "Market Monitoring Workshop" in Denver. Participants included several state utility commissioners, California ISO, PJM, ISO-New England, New York ISO, and Midwest ISO.

Renewables Portfolio Standards: What Are We Learning? (PDF 402 KB) LBNL's research on existing state laws and policies to promote renewables, as well as lessons learned. Information was presented by Ryan Wiser of LBNL at the March 2004 National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' (NARUC) winter conference.

The Program is assisting the Clean Energy States Alliance in promotion of renewable energy and clean energy technologies. Through the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Program supports management and "Best Practices" consulting work on clean energy funds.

The National Council on Electricity Policy published "A Comprehensive View of U.S. Electric Restructuring with Policy Options for the Future," (PDF 756 KB) the latest paper in its Electric Industry Restructuring Series. The paper was released during the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner's (NARUC) Summer Committee Meetings in Denver, Colorado, in July 2003.

Rocky Mountain Restructuring: What Works for the Western States. Presentations and panel discussions from this May 1999 conference describe the restructuring experiences of legislators, regulators, energy suppliers and marketers, and other key decision-makers. This conference was sponsored by DOE via funding to the National Council on Electricity Policy.